LOS ANGELES -- Actor Nathan Fillion, who currently stars as mystery novelist Richard Castle on ABC’s hit series Castle, has been tapped by the Writers Guild of America, West to host its upcoming 2013 Writers Guild Awards show to be held on Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE.

“When I first accepted the honor of hosting the Writers Guild Awards, I was confused and actually thought I was receiving one. Since I play a writer on TV, I felt perhaps someone was under the impression I deserved an award and I wasn’t about to correct them. However, now I’m in the perfect position to present myself with whichever award I choose. Who’s going to know? At the very least, I can network with the most talented writers in the business in preparation for my next round of unemployment. It’s a win/win.”

“We think Nathan's an extraordinary choice to host the 2013 Writers Guild Awards,” said Executive Producer Cort Casady. “Not only does he play a writer brilliantly on Castle, but also, in addition to acting, he sings, dances, is a popular voice talent, and has a great gift for comedy. And with over 1.5 million Twitter followers, Nathan brings a smart, enthusiastic audience to our celebration of writing.”

Fillion is best known for his role on the hit series Castle, which garnered him a 2012 People’s Choice Award for “Favorite TV Drama Actor.” Castle is in its 5th season and will air its 100th episode on April 1, 2013. Fillion will next star in Joss Whedon’s film adaption of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, which will be released on June 7, 2013. He will also co-star as Hermes in the upcoming sequel Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, which will be released on August 16, 2013.

Fillion earned an Emmy nomination early on in his career for portraying Joey Buchanan on the daytime drama One Life to Live. He later gained notoriety for his role as Cpt. Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds on the Joss Whedon-created sci-fi series Firefly. Although the series was short lived, the fan base was huge, and Fillion went onto star in Serenity, Universal Picture’s big-screen continuation of the Firefly sci-fi saga. Fillion’s other film credits include Adrienne Shelly’s acclaimed feature Waitress, as well as Slither and Saving Private Ryan, among other features.

Additional WGA West Coast ceremony presenters/talent line-up will be announced next month.

The 2013 Writers Guild Awards will be held on Sunday, February 17, 2013, at simultaneous ceremonies at the JW Marriott L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles and the B.B. King Blues Club in New York City. For more information about the 2013 Writers Guild Awards, please visit www.wga.org or www.wgaeast.org.

The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) is a labor union representing writers of motion pictures, television, radio, and Internet programming, including news and documentaries. Founded in 1933, the Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members. It is involved in a wide range of programs that advance the interests of writers, and is active in public policy and legislative matters on the local, national, and international levels. For more information on the WGAW, please visit: www.wga.org.